Radian is a nonprofit architecture and urban design group with the mission to advance social equity in the built environment. Radian envisions a world where residents, who have been traditionally excluded  in design and planning, have the agency, power, and resources they need to shape their own communities and neighborhoods. 

Radian’s work is based in the acknowledgement that discriminatory policies and institutionalized racism, woven throughout the built environment, have created gross inequities in health, wealth, and power that have compounded over time. To confront this reality, we center residents’ expertise and lived experiences through community partnerships and design processes that are inclusive, collaborative, and responsive.

We are currently seeking a passionate and committed Design Justice Architect to join us in our design justice work. We are a small, versatile team of designers who make a big impact through architecture, urban planning, and community advocacy. We work on a diverse range of projects that use design in the built environment as a tool to advance social equity. These project types include affordable housing, housing solutions, education, equitable development, advocacy and policy, community space, equitable transit, social justice, healthy food access, and land use & real estate.

Position

Design Justice Architect

Compensation: 

$65K-85K Full-time, salaried position. Salary commensurate with experience.

About the Design Justice Architect Position

This position is responsible for leading and implementing multiple small-scale architectural projects and interventions, offering design and technical assistance to our community partners through a design justice lens. Radian’s design work is responsive to community-identified priorities, and as such our project types are dependent on relationships and trust built with community partners. Current architecture project types include Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers, nonprofit spaces, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), small public space interventions, and alternative housing solutions. 

We expect this position to grow with Radian, maintain strong community relationships, and continue to  build Radian’s diverse community architecture portfolio. In addition to architectural design, this position is also responsible for supporting other creative design-thinking initiatives that support policy and systems change at a variety of scales.

We are looking for a team member who is committed to:

• Using design and other technical skills as tools to advance social equity 
• Developing strong community relationships and partnerships
• Centering community and collaborating with compassion, creativity, and humility
• Advancing anti-racism and social justice advocacy 
• Embracing the complexities that are inherent in community-centered design
• Integrating design justice principles into all work processes

Our ideal candidate is reliable, adaptable, nimble, and proactive. We are a small, scrappy team who are resolute in advancing social equity, and we bring joy, collaboration, and connection into everything we do. 

Community Engagement Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in community-centered design, design justice principles, community advocacy, and/or equitable development.
• Education and/or experience in JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) advocacy, with a specific commitment to anti-racism initiatives.
• Experience collaborating and co-designing with historically excluded and underrepresented populations (e.g., communities of color, under-resourced communities, immigrants and refugees, justice-involved folks, unhoused neighbors, etc.) 
• Ability to commute to and from office and project sites and community events as needed.
• Additional Preferences:
  • Bilingual
  • Has built and maintains relationships, trust, and credibility with community groups and residents throughout Denver and Colorado/ Has strong business development skills
  • Demonstrated commitment to environmental and/or climate justice

Design Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s Degree in architecture, urban design, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning, or other related field
• 5+ years of Project Management experience with architecture projects from conceptual design to construction
• Experience with collaborative design practices, including but not limited to: organizing design charrettes and workshops or hosting community forums and focus groups
• Fluency in architectural programs (AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, etc.) and demonstrated design skills including graphics, rendering, and visualization
• Passionate about developing and managing small-scale equity projects and interventions
• Additional Preferences:
  • Licensed Architect
  • Experienced with construction observation and/or working with general contractors
  • Established Design Thinking/Design Justice/Trauma-Informed Design Processes

Benefits

• Optional 4-Day Work Weeks (4 10-hour days)
• Unlimited vacation & PTO days
• Healthcare coverage
• Family Leave Policy
• 401K Program
• Paid Holidays (MLK Jr Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day)
• Hybrid work at BUILD, Radian’s shared space for community-serving organizations

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: 

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. Don’t worry if you don’t match every single qualification and preference. If this job description speaks to you, we encourage you to apply. We are looking for a versatile individual who is uniquely qualified to support our mission, and we value the full breadth of education and/or experience that advancing social equity includes.

Radian is committed to promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and we are actively working to make sure these values are wholly integrated throughout our organization and work. We value and welcome diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other wonderful characteristics that make us different. 

Interested in applying? 

Please email one file containing an interest letter, resume, and design portfolio/work samples to hiring@radianinc.org with the subject line “Design Justice Architect”.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.